These Cacao Banana Oatmeal Muffins are made with whole oats, cacao powder, chia seeds and hemp hearts, and are gluten and dairy-free.
They make a really nice moist tasty muffin that’s high in good fats, fibre and a good source of protein. And the cacao powder adds a nice zip of antioxidants too!
To sweeten my foods naturally I like using whole-food sweeteners (like dates) as much as possible. And this is one of those recipes that can easily be adapted to be sugar-free. So if you like dates, and want to try swapping out the coconut sugar in this recipe to make these muffins totally sugar-free, then go for it.
Don’t have date paste on hand, or new to date paste altogether? No problem—it’s really easy! You just need to put a few soft dates in a blender with some water and then blend them smooth. See full instructions below on how to make it.
Once you’ve decided on your ingredients, preheat the oven and get your muffin tray ready. Then start by gathering all the dry ingredients and put them aside. (Note: If using date paste, they will be part of the wet ingredients.) Then gather all the wet ingredients and put them aside.
Now just crank the tunes and enjoy the creative process of making these healthy Cacao Banana Oatmeal Muffins!!
Trick of the trade: See the note in the recipe regarding the baking soda and why I suggest to combine it with the wet ingredients.
How to make date paste: I usually make a batch of date paste with enough to last me a month or so. For this, I will use 2 cups of pitted soft dates with 3/4 to 1 1/4 cup of water. First, toss the soft pitted dates into a blender starting with 3/4 cup of water and blend on high until smooth. Continue to add water as needed to get a nice smooth consistency. If using Medjool dates, I may soak them for 30 minutes; otherwise soak them overnight—especially if you don’t have a high-speed blender.
Don’t have a blender? You can use a food processor. Just adjust water needs accordingly.
How to store date paste and for how long: Date paste can keep up to 6 months in the fridge, stored in a tightly sealed mason jar. But mine never lasts that long since I like to make date energy balls a lot. J
More swapsies and tips: Check out the bottom of this recipe for more ideas.
Other muffin and or cacao recipes you make like:
Enjoy!
Cacao Banana Oatmeal Muffins
Equipment
- 12 cup muffin tray
- Large glass mixing bowl
- Medium glass mixing bowl
- Small glass mixing bowl
- Measuring cups
- measuring spoons
Ingredients
- 3 cups Rolled oats ensure gluten-free if needed!
- ¾ cup Hemp hearts or ground golden flaxseeds
- 1/4 cup Chia seeds
- 1/4 cup Raw cacao powder unsweetened
- 1/3 cup Coconut sugar or 1/3 cup of date paste and mix in with wet ingredients
- 1 tsp Baking powder
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
- 1/3 tsp sea salt
Wet ingredients
- 2 large Omega 3 eggs omega 3
- 2 Banana very ripe and mashed (about 1 cup)
- 1/2 cup Unsweetened applesauce preferably organic
- 1 cup Unsweetened Almond Milk or milk substitute of your choice
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp Baking soda added to liquid ingredients it bubbles up and makes a more tender muffin
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit
- Rub a muffin pan tin (medium size) with coconut oil or use paper liners
- In a large bowl first combine dry ingredients except for the nuts
- In a smaller bowl combine wet ingredients
- Pour liquid over dry ingredients and fold together gently until dry ingredients are just incorporated.
- Spoon evenly among 12 muffin tins and bake for 20 - 25 minutes
- Allow to cool 5 minutes in the tins before turning out.